Dismissed But Not Condoned

Our Towns

Middletown

March 11, 1996

Sydney Libby should in no way read a decision to dismiss charges against him for disruptions of public meetings as an endorsement of his unruly and rude behavior.

Mr. Libby, 68, who at times seems singularly devoted to offending others, wriggled free of more than two dozen criminal charges when Assistant State's Attorney Michael R. Dannehy decided against prosecution. Many of the charges stemmed from Mr. Libby's refusal to leave meetings when legally required and his violation of a now-abandoned five-minute limit on public speaking at Middletown Common Council meetings.

Judge Richard Stanley agreed with the prosecutor and dismissed the counts of criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and breach of peace. The dismissal was too kind to Mr. Libby, who deserved to answer for his actions. His previous trials were punctuated by verbal assaults on the judge, prosecutor and his accusers.

Keeping Mr. Libby from another trial spares the system the expense of dealing with an incorrigible who, as Mr. Dannehy said during a previous court appearance, ``enjoys the publicity he receives.'' Mr. Libby was convicted of similar charges in April, sentenced to six months in jail, suspended after 60 days, and placed on conditional discharge for a year, to prevent him from disrupting more meetings.

Public nuisance makers, such as Mr. Libby, seemingly calculate the degree of trouble they can cause without getting into serious jams. They add little to the debate of city affairs because their motives are self-aggrandizement, not the public good. Mr. Libby has been given an extraordinary chance to reform, which he should accept quietly. But he was back at it last week when he briefly disrupted a school board meeting.